Fire-resistant shutter.



J. G. WILSON.

FIRE RESISTANT SHUTTER. APPLIGATIQN FILED JAN. 9, 1909.

Patented Mar. l5, 39ML WIT/VESSEL? JAMES G. WILSON, F LARCHMONT, NEWYORK.

FIRE-RESISTANT SHUTTER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 41910.

Application filed January 9, `1909. Serial No. 471,390.

To all whom it may concern: f

lle it known that I, JAMES G. WILSON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Larchmont, lestchester county, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Resistant Shutters, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to shutters made of fire resistant materials andsliding in suite able grooves or guides as distinguished from hingedshutters.

More particularly my improvement pertains to shutters when constitutedof `hing ing metallic slats; my invention is also peculiarly applicableto such shutters when ar-l ranged to roll from the grooves into a coil.One object of my invention is, broadly speaking, to insure a closerjunction between the shutter edges and the grooves.

A further object of my invention is to insure a closer junction betweenthevhinge members of adjacent slats than is ordinarily obtainable.

A still further and most important object of my invention is to sostiifen and maintain a close contact between the hinging members ofadjacent slats over the entire length of such hinges as to prevent muchof the bulging, warping, ,buckling and twisting of metallic shutters ascommonly obtains in such structures when subjected to intense heat as incase of fire.

Shutters of the above generally described type are used to protect doorand window openings in case of fire, and are either thrown into place byintention or, in many cases, automatically. Complete protection fromlire properly means not only protection from direct actionr of the llameand transference of heat-but should also include a complete cutting oli'of smoke and vapors, the effect of which in many cases is more damagingto merchandise as well as more dangerous to life, than the fire itself.

So far as I am aware, shutters rof the` above mentioned type and asheretofore made. have had openings or passageways of considerableaggregate area between the shutter edges and their inclosing grooves orguides thereby readily permitting smoke or vapor laden air to passaround such shutter edges and across the door or window opening into theroomor rooms to be protected. rlhis has necessarily resulted from thefact lateral play between the shutter edges and the groove bottoms andtransverse play between said edges and the groove sides, has beenrequired. to enable the shutter'to be normally operable withoutexcessive friction; while, in case of lire, the expansion of the shutterthereby produced would, without such play, absolutely lock the shutter,possibly even before completely closing.

l accomplish one feature of my invention essentially by placing on theside of each shutter slat at each end a permanently attached metal stopor abutment which makes a substantially closed joint between the shutterand the side of the embacing groove. In a modified form of my invention,which forms the subject of a separate application` l (No. 458,690, filedOctober 20, 1908), this stop is of resilient material bent so as toinamtam close contact with the groove while, at the same time, yieldingto any variations of pressure or irregularities of travel, as theshutter is operated.

In the embodiment of my invention which forms the subject matter of thisapplication, I makeuse of a block which, although it may lill the freespace only1 loosely, thereby not materially increasing the slidingfriction, may yet be suiiiciently long c. in the direction of theshutte1"s`width) to introduce excessive air friction, and thusSubstantially seal the air passage. This block is so shaped that besidesthus sealing the junction of shutter slat and grooves it also performsthe most important function of keeping the hinging members of adjacentslats in close contact. suitable intervals along the width Aof theshutter, the number of such blocks depending upon the width of theshutter, the 'dimensions of the slats, and the gage of which such slatsare made. I am enabled to obtain this close contact relation of hingingmem-` bers over the entire shutter.

Referring to the drawings, Figures l, 2 and 3 illustrate a preferredform of my invention in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section,with a portion of the groove cut away so as to bring out the structure;the figure is drawn to include but a part of one side of the shutter anda few interhinging slats since the other side of the shutter and theremainder of the slats above and below are similar; Fig. 2 is asectional elevation along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a preferred form of the block, above referred to, asused at the edge By placing these blocks at of the shutter; Fig. 4 is amodified form of the block in perspective, as used on that part of thcshutter away from its edge; and Fig. 5 is a side view, partly insection, of a single slat showing a modified application of myinvention.

A is flexible metal shutter comprising interliinging slats 1, l, and Bone of the lateral grooves or runways in which the shutter normallyslides and by which it is guided.

My'- stop proper comprises a structure C, preferably a solid or hollowblock. This bloc-,lr is of approximately triangular crosssection(vertically to the plane of the shutter) and proportioned so as to fill,.with a minimum amount of play, the space between the slats and thegroove on one side of the plane of the shutter. The top of each block at2 is grooved so as to conform to the shape of the hinge member, 3,above. This block lies preferably just outside the tangent line a-a, soas not to appreciably increase the diameter of the shutter coil when theshutter is rolled. n

With the usualconstruction of shutters of' the class here in question,the shutter willarts it descends in its grooves, owing to unavoidablefriction between slat ends and grooves, so proceed that each slat willsuccessively, from the bottom up, ltend to stick in the grooves so as toseparate the cooperating hinge members to the full limit of theirallowed play; and even if the friction of shutter edges with grooves beeliminated, this separation would still take place, in lowering theshutter, when the bottom slatnally struck the bottom of the shutteropening. Such separation of the hinge members obviously forms a more orless continuous air passage through and around the hinge members andover the entire width of the shutter and the total cross-section thusopened up to the passage of smoke, vapors and Haine, may become therebymuch ygreater than that existing around the shutter edges between saidedges and the grooves. Vvfith my block form of smoke guard the block isfixed on each slat with each groove 2, against the next upper slat at 3when the hinge members of the two sla-tsiare pressed closely together,z'. e., when' the slats involved are pressed apart. lVhether beingraised or lowered, therefore, the shutter is thereafter always tightlystretched by reason of these blocks and the iiiige members are in closecontact throughout their entire length so that passageway across theface of the shutter both through and around the hinge members isentirely cut oil". .This keeping the shutter always in stretch insteadof allowing the slats to bunch up has the still further advantage ofgiving it a much more sightly a Jpearance. Ihere the shutter iscomparatively narrow, blocks as thus explained in each side groove wouldgenerally be sutlicient to properly hold slats, by )oining wings orlugs,

the hinge members of adjacent slats in close contact over the entirelength of such hinge. but where the shutter has considerable width it isgenerally better to place one or more blocks suitably spaced across thefront of `the shutter to aid the groove blocksin main-y taining thedesired contact. These intermediate distance blocks are particularlydesirable and necessary on wide shutters when there is a probabilitythat any fire, which lstretching blocks on the opposite side insteadwithout departing from the spirit of my 1n- \'ention. Or, I may placethe seals on both sides of the shutter; ordinarily however, the airpassages are so completely cut off by placing the seals on one side onlythat the small gain in applying the seals to both sides will not repaythe disadvantage of the lextra friction entailed, to say nothing of theincreased cost.

To provide against any lateral sliding or separation of the slats of ametallic shutter, it is common practice in the art to affix L- shapedlugs at the end of one slat with one leg of the L lying across theinterlocked hinge members at the end. Vith my improvement I may dispensewith.. such lugs, and still prevent lateral separation ofthe 6 and 7, t0the outside of the blocks C when used at the edge of the shutter; theselugs project over the ends of the hinge members as shown in Figs. l and2. These lugs or wings are preferably. formed integral with the blocksthemselves.

I may obviously arrange my lugs, 6 and 7, both cast on the saine block,as in Fig. 3, in which case the block is used only on every alternateshutter slat. with the remaining blocks plain as at 8, F ig. et, oryImay use the saine style of block on each ,slat end using, in such case,but, one lug, bottom, to each slat and modifying the shape of the lug ifnecessary.

In Fig. l I show a thin asbestos pad which may, should I desire, becemented or otherwise fastened to the groove 2 in case it is thoughtdesirable to soften slightly the rigidity with which the hinge membersare lield together.

lVith the blocks C on the Ifront of the shutter as in Figs. l and 2 thecurved end of said block is at its top and presses against either at topor.

tion of the shutter.

curved to form hinge members, fire resistant vapors around them and thusthrough the interbinging slats and sliding in grooves, a block of reresistent material lined to one senese the hinge member of the slet nextabove. Were the block to be placed on the ie've:se`` side of the shutterits large and curved end would be down instead of up and wouldpressfgifzainst the hinge member 5 oftlie sla-t nextflieiow.lbisisslioivny in Fig. 5 wnliei'e C is a block placed on the reverseside oi the shutter. l

Many changes of detail. ineyobviously b mede in app ying iny-inventionWithout departing from its spirit. My-invention is effective, simple,and easy to apply. and having now fully disclosed the seine, l herebyclaim: v s

l. Ina re resistant shutter `comprising interhinging slats and slidingin grooves, a block of fire resistant material fixed to one side of eachslat end and shaped so as 'to substantially ,ll tbe transverse sectionbetween thel side 'of seid slet end and a side wall of the groove,whereby the passage of. smoke and vapors is substantially cut offWithout interfering with tbe'normal opeiaY 2; ln a. re resistant shuttercomprising interbinging slats. and sliding infgrooves, a pair ofopposite sides of each Islet being eleinentsixed to each siete-ndconformed closely tothe hinge member of an adjacent slet wlieeby the'hinge members `aire kept in'V close coiitaetend the passage of smoke andshutter opening is substantially cut oit. 3. ln e treresistantfsliuttercomprising sideof each slet end and substantiaily bridging thejrensversesection bet-Ween said slet end .x and the groove, said blo-cli; havinge. grooved end adapted to closely but slidably it the hinge member of inadjacent slet so :is to press the slats :spart end keep their bingemembers inclose'contect, whereby the passage of smoke and vapors aroundthe hinge members end between the shutter.

edges .and the grooves is snbstentially cutofi". 4:. ln s fire resistantshutter comprising Ainterl'iinging slats, fire resistent meansetrtewlfied'to said sliiittei and adapted to keep the hinge members ofadjacent slats in close Contact, seid means having further ineensadapted to prevent lateral separation of seid slats, substantially isand or the purpose described 5. In .e fire resistant shutter comprisingnterliiiiging slats and slidingin grooves, partir` of opposite sides ofeach slet beingl curved to forni binge members, iiie resistent elementsfixed to each slat one eiid of each element being conformed closely to ebinge member of an adjacent slat and being adapt ed to press againstsaid hinge memberv there by keeping seid slats in stretch end preventingthe passage of smoke end vapors `through said'binge meinbersnnd acrossthe fece of the siiiittei. i

ln testimoiij whereof l.' have hereunto set myiiand inA the presenceof'tw'o subscribing witnesses this 7th dy of January, 1909.v

